City Hall unveils e-payment parking system

• The City Council of Nairobi has launched an e-payment parking system as it moves to weed out corruption and increase revenue collection.
• he system unveiled yesterday will be piloted on Koinange Street for three months before being introduced in other parts of the city.
• To make the payment the owner of the vehicle will send ‘pay*Park*vehicle number plate* on street or off street*duration, for example 1day or 1month or 3month*pin’ to 3032
• Once payment has been made, the motorist will get a receipt on the phone that shows the amount and the vehicle number plate. There will be nothing to display on the windscreen as happens at the moment.
• Parking inspectors will check that payment has been made by keying in the vehicle’s registration number into their systems via phone.

The City Council of Nairobi has launched an e-payment parking system as it moves to weed out corruption and increase revenue collection.

The system unveiled yesterday will be piloted on Koinange Street for three months before being introduced in other parts of the city.

Nairobi Town Clerk Roba Duba said only 40 per cent of the money collected by City Hall parking attendants reaches the office.

Under the system motorists will pay parking fees electronically via mobile money transfer services. 

The town council has partnered with Yu Cash, Orange Money, and Airtel Money. The council said it is still negotiating with Safaricom on the issues of tariff.

To pay for parking fees, the vehicle owner is required to register by sending a text message with ‘Register*Identity card number*First name*last name to 3032. The system will respond via a mobile text, giving the individual a unique PIN.

The individual will then register the vehicle using the code Add*Car* number plate* Vehicle type (e.g private car and canter)*pin. The vehicle will be registered and a text with feedback received by the motorist.

“The vehicle specification is important because there are different categories and KRA will help us to check this,” said City Council of Nairobi Director of ICT Benter Ogot. An individual can add more than one vehicle.

To make the payment the owner of the vehicle will send ‘pay*Park*vehicle number plate* on street or off street*duration, for example 1day or 1month or 3month*pin’ to 3032

Once payment has been made, the motorist will get a receipt on the phone that shows the amount and the vehicle number plate. There will be nothing to display on the windscreen as happens at the moment.

Parking inspectors will check that payment has been made by keying in the vehicle’s registration number into their systems via phone.

If the vehicle has not been paid for, the system will send a message automatically to a clamper with the details of registration number and the street and it will be clamped.

gfayo@ke.nationmedia.com